Stephanie Murray
M.Sc. Student, Environmental Studies, University of Saskatchewan
Photo Credit: Stephanie Murray
Stephanie Murray is a Master of Environmental Studies student in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of Manitoba. Her research focuses on prairie restoration across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, with particular attention to how people involved in restoration understand success, navigate challenges, and share knowledge. She is interested in the social dimensions of restoration, the relationships people develop with prairie landscapes, and the ways diverse perspectives shape restoration practice and stewardship. Her professional background includes conservation biology and ecological restoration, with a particular interest in grassland ecosystems, knowledge mobilization, and community-based approaches to conservation.
Research Project
Understanding Prairie Restoration: Perspectives on Success, Barriers, and Knowledge Sharing in the Canadian Prairies
Prairie restoration is increasingly recognized as an important tool for addressing biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and climate change. While restoration efforts are often evaluated through ecological outcomes such as species diversity and habitat recovery, the experiences and perspectives of the people involved in restoration remain less understood.
Stephanie's research examines how individuals engaged in prairie restoration across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta define restoration success, identify challenges and opportunities, and exchange knowledge. Through qualitative interviews with restoration practitioners, landowners, researchers, government representatives, and community members, she explores the social and relational dimensions of restoration and how these influence restoration outcomes.
Her study investigates the ways people make decisions about restoration, build connections with prairie landscapes, and navigate the practical, institutional, and ecological complexities of restoring native grassland ecosystems. Preliminary findings suggest that restoration is understood not only as ecological recovery but also as an ongoing practice of stewardship shaped by relationships, values, and long-term commitments to the land.
By highlighting diverse experiences and perspectives, this research aims to improve understanding of the human dimensions of prairie restoration. The findings will provide practical insights to support restoration planning, policy development, and knowledge sharing while helping strengthen the stewardship and conservation efforts needed to sustain prairie ecosystems across the Canadian Prairies.